FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
CONTACT: Liane Jollon, Executive Director, 970-769-0354, liane@westernleaders.org
Jessica Pace, Program Director, 615-294-2049, jess@westernleaders.org
New Mexico State, Local Elected Officials Call for Bonding Reform
Leaders across the state support policy that ensures oil and gas companies – not the public – pay to clean up wells.
Twenty-five elected officials across New Mexico are urging the state Oil Conservation Commission to adopt critical updates to strengthen state bonding requirements – the rules that determine how much money oil and gas companies must set aside to clean up their wells. In a letter submitted to the Oil Conservation Commission on Nov. 5, leaders express support for rule updates that will hold the oil and gas industry accountable, protect public health, and safeguard taxpayer dollars.
“Our communities live with the legacy of thousands of oil and gas wells, many of which sit idle or are already abandoned,” the letter states. “When wells are not properly plugged and restored, they pose real risks to our air, water, and public health. They also leave taxpayers and public funds vulnerable to billions in cleanup costs that should have been covered by the corporations that profited from the land.”
State legislators, county commissioners, and city and town council members from 24 local jurisdictions and legislative districts statewide signed the letter. Many also provided individual public statements to the Oil Conservation Commission during a public hearing which began on Oct. 20 and is scheduled to end Nov. 7 on the proposed rule changes (Case No. 24683).
According to state data, the total cleanup liability for New Mexico is estimated between $700 million and $1.6 billion. The average cost to plug a well is $163,000, and some cost far more, but corporations can post bonds for just $250,000 statewide under current rules.
State and local leaders who signed the letter expressed support for rule updates that will ensure oil and gas companies are held financially accountable for cleanup, wells are managed responsibly and cleaned up in a timely manner, and natural resources are protected from the risks of idle and abandoned wells.
“Elected officials want to safeguard their communities’ air, land, and water; bring quality jobs to New Mexico; and ensure oil and gas companies – not their constituents – pay to properly plug wells,” says Western Leaders Network Executive Director Liane Jollon. “Updating financial assurance policy offers a workable, commonsense solution that simultaneously takes the burden of cleanup off taxpayers, protects community health, and provides accountability for polluters.”
A recently conducted statewide poll shows nearly 9 in 10 New Mexicans (89%) across geographic regions and political parties support oil and gas corporations paying the full cost of plugging wells. According to the study, 91% of respondents say corporations should pay for cleanup, and 90% said it’s essential to protect community health and drinking water.
Western Leaders Network harnesses the power of local, tribal, and state elected officials to address the climate crisis, advance conservation initiatives, and protect democracy.